2 sought in connection with burglaries in southern Chester County

AVONDALE » Police are looking for two men who are posing as workers from an electric company, distracting them and burglarizing their homes.

State police at Avondale responded to 212 Friends Meetinghouse Road in Highland Township on Sept. 26 where they met with two victims who reported over $11,000 worth of jewelry missing from their home.

The two victims, an 86-year-old male and an 82-year-old female, reported that on Sept. 26, a person approached them and said he was from a power company and asked the couple to walk with him out onto their property so he could show them the work they would be doing. This person successfully distracted the victims for about 30 minutes, police said.

During that time, a second person entered the residence and removed jewelry from the master bedroom of the home. He then left in an unknown direction.

The suspect who distracted the couple is described as a white male standing about 5 feet 8 inches with brown hair and missing front teeth.

Also on the same day, Sept. 26, at about 3 p.m. Southern Chester County Regional Police were dispatched to the 900 block of Newark Road in the Toughkenamon section of New Garden Township, for a report of a suspicious person.

The elderly female homeowner stated that a younger white male, described as being 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 140 pounds, and missing his front teeth, arrived in a white truck and knocked on her door. He was granted access to the basement under the guise that he was there to address issues with the power lines. He then asked the homeowner for $50 and when she declined, he made a phone call and fled the residence.

Anyone with information should call police at 610-268-2022.

Police urge residents to take caution to avoid distracted burglaries. Keep front and back doors locked, and ask for the person’s identification and then check it by phone

Police encourage older people to get into the habit of always locking their doors and by using a door chain or spy-hole.

Telephone a neighbor, or a nearby friend, and ask them to come along to help check out the caller before you open the door to them.

Insist on checking the identity of the caller. If they are genuine, they will not mind waiting or returning later. Do not use any telephone numbers provided by the caller as they may be bogus.

And don’t keep large quantities of cash at home; put it in the bank or post office where it is safe, police said.

SUBMITTED IMAGE A police sketch of the suspect wanted in connection with a series of distracted burglaries.